Archive: Pandora’s Tower Campaign Update

Thursday, October 11th, 2012

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UPDATE: Pandora’s Tower has been announced for North America, published by XSEED Games, and scheduled to be released Spring 2013!

The information below is being kept as an archive. For up-to-date resolution status for those looking forward to receiving a collector’s case, please visit this page.

UPDATE – OCTOBER 11, 2012

PANDORA’S TOWER UPDATE:

After 15 months of campaigning for Pandora’s Tower, and the launch of Nintendo’s next console in just over one month, Operation Rainfall will be ending their campaign for Pandora’s Tower to be launched in America via physical release. It’s been a great run. We’ve met some fantastic people that have helped us with the campaign and we’ve met some great people that are a part of the video game industry.

We have approached several niche publishers with regards to publishing Pandora’s Tower in North America, and while some were more receptive than others, and some were open to the possibility, to date there is no confirmation that Pandora’s Tower will be picked up for release in America, despite the fact that it is already localized for the West.

As proven to us by our last three drives for the game, the fan support is dramatically dwindling for the game. The possibility always remains that Pandora’s Tower could see release as a digital title on the Wii U, and if Nintendo announces intentions to support Wii games via the Wii U eShop, we may decide to bring the subject of Pandora’s Tower back up.

For now, Pandora’s Tower rests fully in the hands of Nintendo, as all final decisions to publish the game in America rests with them. We want to thank everyone that participated in our campaign projects over the past 15 months.

COLLECTOR’S CASE UPDATE:

Everyone that made a donation of $10 or more will be receiving a Collector’s Case we had commissioned for this project. The cases are currently still in the production and printing process. We will notify everyone that will be receiving a case when they will be ready to ship. The original anticipated date was June/July 2012, and due to various reasons from volunteer errors to production problems, they have been delayed until further notice.

The Collector’s Case is a free gift that we are giving to each person that donated $10 or more towards Operation Rainfall. The Collector’s Case is not a purchase. As stated in our original petition, all funds received above what we requested will go directly into Operation Rainfall, and will be used to expand our coverage and reach, develop partnerships with publishers, and improve the quality of our coverage. Our staff is made up of worldwide unpaid volunteers and remains strictly non-profit.

Also, as stated in our original petition, the funds donated cannot be reimbursed. Why is this? As we mentioned, we made use of the funds for the purpose intended, while clearly stating that the fate of Pandora’s Tower does not rest with Operation Rainfall (as we do not own the rights to the game). The majority of the funds went into producing special kits, which were in turn used to pitch the game to publishers. In the end, we have no control whether a publisher decides to publish a game or not.

Started out most excited for Last Story, became most excited for Pandora’s Tower almost immediately after finding out about it. Oh well, there’s a guy in my school that can help me hack my Wii, after which I can import the PAL version that is already in English. So it’s not as bad as the Tales of Vesperia PS3 localization.

InsaneChronos

It’s because no one really wants Pandora’s Tower or Monado or The Last Story. For such massive campaign the sales of these games are just shameful.

No one wanted Xenoblade Chronicles or The Last Story? They sold pretty well once they got to North America. I can understand why there’s dwindling interest in Pandora’s Tower, but even PT sounds a lot better than most upcoming AAA titles.

Oh, I’m still waiting on that response on which games are supposedly core games.

InsaneChronos

1) Considering the hysteria around the games their sales are shameful. Look, for example, at Valkyria Chronicles. No one started a localization campaign for Valkyria Chronicles, no one begged Sega for anything, and the game sold more than any of the Operation Rainfall games. Why? Because PS3 users wanted Valkyria Chroncles. So if you want something, not just cry, but show apprecitaion for the games.
2) Core game is a game that only adult person can play and understand.

1) There wasn’t a fuss over Valkyria Chronicles because it was *planned* to be brought over. From the looks of it, it was more advertised than Xenoblade was. The three OpRain games weren’t; it wasn’t until we made a fuss that Reggie said they’d be watching sales of Xenoblade in Europe and would decide if it was worth it then. It sold better in Europe than Japan and it sold even more in North America than Europe. Add in the fact that Xenoblade was limited to being sold at Gamestop and that’s impressive (was Valkyria limited to a specific retailer?) and that the Wii is pretty much on its last legs, whereas VC came out a time the PS3 was starting to pick up steam and will be supported for another 3 years.

What’s more, Gamestop was offering $25 on returns of Xenoblade a mere month after its release because they didn’t have enough copies to go around. Gamestop wouldn’t be begging people who are still probably playing the game to return it for cash if they aren’t going to profit off it.

Reggie and an XSeed rep even said that the two games sold pretty well, regardless of the odds. Sure, VC may have more sales in the end (1 million from the looks of it), but Xenoblade sold faster than VC did upon launch. It took price cuts a year later for VC to sell better.

2) You *still* fail to actually list examples of these supposed core games. Are you scared we’ll find another chink in the armor? I’m not going to criticize it, just disappointed that you haven’t actually said anything.

InsaneChronos

1) Then again, Valkyria Chronicles sold more than the Operation Rainfall games despite the lack of Valkyria Chronicles advertising. And yes, Monado recieved more advertising than Valkyria Chronicles.
2) You need an example? Then how about Xenogears or Xenosaga? No kid will understand those games. This is the core games.

1) Nintendo of America advertising of Xenoblade: internet ads, probably Nintendo Power
Sega of America: Raffles and giveaways, along with a Q&A. An anime was also released later.

Yeah, Xenoblade definitely got more advertising here in North America.

And again, XB got a *limited* retail release, VC wasn’t clipped like that. Yet despite the retail disadvantage, Reggie confirmed that Xenoblade sold pretty well, so no, sales of the game *aren’t* shameful if the people who doubted its success are acknowledging it. Besides, if neither game left Japan, they probably would’ve been
considered flops because both of them barely broke the 0.1 million mark
there.

2) Finally, an answer! Respectable games to be sure, but what would happen if someone came along and said they played those as kids? Or better yet, I get my little brother and one of my parents to play any of those games, only for my little brother to understand it better than either parent. What then? Do they stop being core games because a kid understood them better than an adult?

This is too bad the game has already traslation and voices only need the localization,
any way… hope that this have relase!! how pokemon please! and we have 3ds! and the wii u backward for the wii game, no excuse!

Eugene Ng

Ouch! That’s gotta hurt! They will have to give in sooner or later in the future… Just have to be patient. Patience my friend, they may surprise us… Or else we can go into hacking consoles or best yet, not buying the Wii U because if they ain’t going to cater to us, why should we cater to them?

I think that a lot of the supporters started playing Xenoblade and The Last Story, leading to less online campaigning activity in general. Bringing it up at a later time would probably be best. Personally, I think Nintendo should look into recruiting NIS for some Wii U grind-heavy jRPGs.

Thank you Operation Rainfall for everything that you have done for Pandora’s Tower. Although I’m sad that this is the end of the campaign for it, I am incredibly grateful for all the hard work that you guys have done. Pandora’s Tower was the game I wanted the most, so it really means a lot to me that you guys stuck with it for so long, especially since it was the hardest of the three games to sell people on. Thanks again for all your hard work and effort Operation Rainfall. I truly appreciate it.

ScienceNonfiction

Thanks Operation Rainfall, you guys are awesome. These past 15 months of campaigning for Xenoblade, The Last Story, and Pandora’s Tower have been a blast, and I’m really grateful that I got the chance to take part in it all. Even though the Pandora’s Tower campaign is over, I’m gonna remain optimistic that the game will one day be available in North America, in one form or another. Again, thanks!!

Who’s to say they won’t release the game and Fatal Frame Deep Crimson Butterfly in North America? Yeah, I know, the situation seems somewhat grim, but you also got to remember, Reggie DID say that the Wii will continue to be supported by Nintendo even after the Wii U launches. Plus, we got a game here that Europe wants (Kirby Dream Collection anyone?) and they have two we want. Who’s to say an exchange won’t be done for 2013? Plublish another Wii game or two and call it a day, I don’t think we’re asking much at all.

Plus, Xenoblade did marvelously here. For a game that didn’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell of getting released here in North America, it sold wonderfully. More than in Europe and Japan. The decision to release these games does lie in NoA’s hands, but something just tells me in due time they’ll release them here.

They’ll probably release it as a download-only game in a few years, as they did with the original Sin and Punishment. I wouldn’t hold my breath, though – if they insist on keeping the current 2-gen delay on their virtual console offerings, there’ll be no Wii games available for download till the Wii U successor arrives. Not sure if they will, though, ’cause Wii U games WILL be sold as downloads, but NoA is definitely a weird company when it comes to these kind of marketing decisions…

Just wait… only time will tell and i have a feeling for some reason, it will happen and we get the game. Nintendo is so busy with the Wii U, they just might not be sure about it yet. All is NOT for nought! I’m sure Nintendo see and respects all of the work we have done and do wish to reward us for our hard work, but it may just be too early for them to do this being right at the dawn of a console launch with mass amounts of other things to think about. For now, let us play… the waiting game!